Chapter 1: Just Go For It

Richard with Mrs. Reed in 2016

Richard Reyes, Founder & Executive Director of the PLUS ME Project, entered North Hollywood High School as a shy student. Set apart from his peers and nervous to connect with others, Richard avoided getting involved in school activities. By the end of 9th grade, he was bored, unmotivated, and stuck. Realizing he did not want to stay static, Richard decided to push himself beyond his comfort zone by putting himself ‘out there’ as much as possible. He joined the soccer team and leadership, to start. By the end of his senior year, he was elected both Student Body President and Prom King. Amy Reed, the leadership teacher at the time, remembers watching Richard grow, “I saw him go from this shy kid hanging out in the corner of the room to a proud leader comfortable at the front of the classroom. It was really inspiring.” 

In between his junior and senior year at Occidental College, he visited Mrs. Reed to share that story of growth with her students. She was so impressed at the sense of inspiration his story offered that she suggested Richard expand his impact. Feedback from students who related to his experiences helped Richard realize the power of story to connect and inspire. We have all had uncomfortable, challenging moments and sharing them out loud helps us feel less isolated and learn strategies for getting through them.

As he looked at the semester ahead, Richard realized he only had classes on Tuesday and Thursday and considered what to do with that free time. A part-time job? An internship? Rest? Then he remembered Mrs. Reed’s suggestion and decided to share his story with more students throughout his senior year. He wanted to set a goal for himself and thought about how many students he should aim to inspire. Should it be 1,000? 5,000? 10,000? He went for the one that felt big and intimidating because it was one that would feel incredible to reach. When sharing the news with Mrs. Reed, Richard remembers the doubt and fear that set in. “What if I don’t even get close to that number?!” Mrs. Reed said something he will always remember, “Just go for it!”

With this mantra at the forefront of his mind, Richard launched the 10,000 PLUS Project in January of 2011 and set out to inspire 10,000 or more students with his story. He started cold-emailing schools across Southern California. Very few responded; maybe 5 out of 100. A few months into the year and only a couple hundred students reached, an important day arrived. He was invited to speak in an AVID college prep classroom in Los Angeles where a county supervisor happened to be observing. She was so inspired by his mission that she decided to share the opportunity with every AVID school in Southern California. Suddenly, Richard was flooded with requests and solidly booked through the end of his senior year. All told, by the end of December 2011, he visited 77 schools and reached over 12,700 students.

Looking back Richard commented “That was special. It was one of the best years of my life.” The work was not paid, it did not count for college credit. It was simply the first flowering of his calling: to inspire young people with his story.

PLUS ME Project is currently on the Road To A Million as we get ready to celebrate our upcoming 10th anniversary of building confidence in youth.